Four White Lilies
by Decadent Decay
Summary: "It's been nine years. I doubt I'll ever see them again." "I wouldn't be so sure." "Yeah? And why's that?" "Because fate is a b-." "I thought that was karma." "They both are; it's a family trait." LuffyXOC
1. Prologue

**Hello there!  
><strong>**  
>Well, you've either stumbled upon this for the first time or you're here after being redirected from the old version. If the latter, you already know that I've decided to rewrite this story. I'm hoping that it'll turn out much better this way, and I'm feeling pretty good about the changes I've made. If you haven't read the old version, don't worry. There isn't anything you need to know from that one that you won't learn from this one. Oh, and for the record, the prologue in both versions is the same. Nothing is changed about it, so there was no point in rewriting it.<strong>

**Extra Note! The prologue takes place in Luffy****'****s home town. At the time, Luffy and Emi are both eight.**

**Disclaimer: ****I don****'****t own One Piece. Duh.**

**.:x:.**

In the middle of a forest in the Goa Kingdom of East Blue, four kids sat around a blazing fire, chomping down on freshly roasted meat and laughing their asses off.

"Did you see that guy's face when Emi ran under his legs and grabbed the treasure?" A curly haired boy wearing a tattered top hat laughed.

A black haired boy with freckles swallowed a huge chunk of meat grinned and replied loudly, "Hell yeah, it was priceless! The loser didn't even know what hit him!"

This time the only girl, about eight years old, commented, "What about the way that scrawny guy shrieked when Luffy's arm stretched?"

The final boy, only a few months older than the girl and wearing a straw hat laughed obnoxiously.

"Shishishi, it was hilarious!"

The small group erupted into raucous laughter again, tears of mirth stinging at their eyes. A little while later, the laughter died down and the four lay on their backs, staring at the stars above them.

"I'm gonna miss ya when you're gone, Emi. You're a riot…" The boy in the top hat said, fighting back a yawn.

"Me too. Do you really have to leave tomorrow?"

"Yeah… Sorry Luffy, but my grandparents said we're setting sail in the morning. But I'll see you guys out at sea someday though, I know it."

"Promise?'

"'Course, Sabo."

"Tch, all three of you sound like wimps," The freckled boy said, fixing his gaze on the smoke wafting up through the summer air.

Unfazed, Emi grinned and nudged the older boy with her foot.

"C'mon Ace, admit it. You're gonna miss me too."

"Yeah, yeah…" Ace retorted dismissively.

Emi was about to continue, but she noticed the corner of Ace's mouth twitch into a small smile and she gladly let the subject drop.

Silence settled over the group and before long, the elder two of the four were asleep.

"Hey, Luffy, are you still awake?" Emi whispered.

"Yeah."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Luffy replied curiously.

Emi rolled onto her side and looked him square in the eye.

"Why do you want to be Pirate King?"

A look of surprise flashed across the young boy's features before settling into a wide grin.

"Because I want to be free."

Emi paused for a second; she hadn't considered that they would have the same reasons for going out to sea, but it made her strangely happy.

"I want to help you," She finally said, a small smile creeping onto her face.

Luffy's face lit up in excitement.

"Yosh! You can be my Pirate Queen!"

"Promise?" Emi asked hopefully.

"Shishishi… Yup!"

**.:x:.**

The Next Morning:

"Hurry up you guys! I'm late!" Emi shouted as she darted through Windmill village towards the docks.

"Why do we have to come? We already said goodbye!" Sabo replied as the three boys caught up to the young girl.

By now, they had reached the ship. As she darted up the gangplank, Emi said, "Because I have something for you!"

Ace, Sabo, and Luffy watched the crew members load the ship while they waited. A few minutes later, Emi jumped over the side of the boat and landed in front of them. With a huge grin on her face, she handed each of them a white Lily, and tucked a fourth behind her ear.

"What are these for?" Ace asked, eyeing the flower in his hand as if it might eat him.

"My friend back home calls them friendship lilies. They're my favorite flower because they can grow everywhere," Emi explained, smile never fading.

Before the boys could reply, Emi's grandfather stuck his head over the railing.

"Wrap it up Emi! We're leaving soon!"

"Not before I get a picture of Emi and her friends."

The four kids groaned as Emi's grandmother came down from the ship, camera in hand.

"Oh hush; you'll thank me for the picture later. Now get together and smile."

Knowing they wouldn't get away until they complied, the four reluctantly stood together and grinned. As a spur of the moment decision, Emi threw an arm around each Ace and Luffy's shoulders, giving Ace bunny ears.

Laughing to herself, Emi's grandmother boarded the ship. After giving the boys hugs, much to their displeasure and embarrassment, Emi raced after her.

As the ship began to sail away, Emi heard someone calling to her from shore. She ran to the back of the ship to see Luffy waving frantically.

"OI! EMI! Don't forget our promise!"

A grin broke out across her face as Emi jumped up on the railing and shouted back, "I won't if you don't!"

Back on the docks, Ace, Sabo, and Luffy watched the ship until it disappeared on the horizon. Once it was gone, they turned on their heels and walked away, lilies still in hand.

**.:x:.**

**So, what do you think? I know it's just the prologue, but if you've got something to say about it, please do. I still don't have much experience writing One Piece fics so constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated!**

**~Decadent Decay**


	2. Of Rifles and Fireballs

**Well, here's the first real chapter of Four White Lilies! I don't really have too much to say about this at the moment, so enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:****I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

><p><span>Seven Years Later:<span>

Watanabe Jiro whistled cheerfully to himself as he made his way through the harbor. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sun warmed his skin nicely, only serving to enhance his good mood. On his left, his blue haired cook, Yoko, paced beside him, seeming equally happy, if not a little eager and excited. To his right was his first mate, and also his crew's doctor, Benjirou, looking perfectly solemn, as he normally did.

The trio came to a halt in front of a massive ship with a whale for a figurehead. A familiar Jolly Roger tied to the main mast waved in the breeze. Jiro ran a hand through his neat red hair, his smile widening nostalgically.

"It really has been a while, hasn't it?" He asked to no one in particular.

Yoko nodded and gave a small hum of agreement before placing two fingers in her mouth and whistling loudly. A moment later a man with a curly black moustache peered over the side of the ship casually. He looked at the three on the dock apprehensively until realization struck him. When it did, a grin split his face and he turned to face them fully.

"We didn't expect to see you guys anytime soon. What brings you here?"

The red haired captain mimicked the man's grin, placing his hands on his hips and saying, "Thought we'd drop in for a visit. I need to talk to the Old Man. How 'bout lettin' us up, Vista?"

Vista nodded and disappeared. A moment later, the gangplank slid down to the dock and the trio walked aboard, immediately being greeted by a number of familiar faces. As Yoko and Benjirou wandered off to greet their old friends, Jiro walked up to Vista, clasping his hand warmly.

"It's good to see ya, Vista," He said.

"Likewise. But where're Hota and Katsu? I didn't see them come up with you. Not to mention it's way too quiet right now for them to be here," Vista replied inquisitively.

Jiro chuckled at the accuracy of Vista's comment. "They're in town, wandering around with a new crewmate. I told them to be back here in an hour, but you know those two. Now where's Pops?"

The dark haired man paused to think for a moment before jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "In his room below deck," He told him, "Remember where it is?"

Jiro turned and began to walk away as he replied, "Couldn't forget if I wanted to."

* * *

><p><span>Meanwhile:<span>

Maybe this game had gotten out of hand.

That was the thought that crossed the twin pirates' minds as they tore through the crowded streets of the port town they were currently docked in. Just ahead of them raced their ebony haired crewmate Emi, who was laughing and grinning like a madwoman as she ran. Behind the trio was a small horde of marine soldiers in hot pursuit, all of whom were cursing at the teenage pirates while trying to accurately shoot their rifles and sprint at the same time.

Never breaking their stride, Hota and Katsu looked at each other, mischief glinting in their sharp green eyes. Matching devilish grins spread across their faces.

Oh yes, this game had _definitely_ gotten out of hand.

But it was still fun as hell.

A peel of laughter escaped from Emi's lips as another colorful string of curses reached her ears. She may hate marines, but it was always hilarious when they were frustrated. And to think that this had all started from a simple game of tag. Hota and Katsu sure had some entertaining ideas.

Despite their amusement at the marines' anger, it didn't take long for the platinum blonde twins to tire of running aimlessly. With a quick nod to each other, Hota shouted ahead, "Oi! Emi! I think it's time to end the game."

Emi threw a quick wink over her shoulder in acknowledgment before picking up her pace. Hota and Katsu followed closely behind as their scrawny crewmate took a sharp left and dashed down a long, winding alley. The angered shouts of marines quieted temporarily as the trio raced through the alley. They kept running until they came to a dead end. Skidding to a halt, the three stared up at the tall walls on three sides of them.

The twins crossed their arms and snickered as they said in unison, "Great job, Emi. You've gotten us trapped."

The raven haired girl blew a bubble with her gum and continued staring at the top of the alley.

_Pop!_

"Hota, Katsu?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and give me a boost."

The boys opened their mouths to protest, but were cut off by the distant shouts of marines further back the alley. Katsu kneeled and clasped his hands together, waiting for Emi to place her foot on them before flinging her into the air. Emi repeatedly pushed herself off of two of the alley walls, propelling herself upward until she could swing herself onto the roof. She vanished for a second before her head popped over the edge again.

"Coast is clear. Get up here."

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Was the skeptical unison reply.

"You've got a Devil Fruit power, don't you? Use it." Emi replied, quickly tiring of the pair playing dumb.

The twins nodded to each other before closing their eyes in concentration. A second later, their images blurred and a clone of each twin split off from their originals. One of the clones braced itself against the wall while the other climbed up to stand on the first's shoulders. The two replicated again, continuing the process until they had created a human ladder reaching all the way up to where Emi stood. The original pair of twins climbed the human ladder quickly, accepting Emi's hand as she hauled them over the ledge. The twins made the clones disappear and crouched behind the ledge beside Emi just as the crowd of marines appeared in the alley.

The marines swarmed into the dead end, skidding to a halt and running into each other's backs in the process. They looked around expectantly, muttering in confusion when they found that the pirate rascals they had been chasing were nowhere in sight. Just as they were about to turn away to look elsewhere, a young marine caught a slight movement above them and pointed it out quickly.

"Up there! They're on the rooftop!"

Hota, Katsu, and Emi pressed themselves against the brick wall as bullets came whizzing past them.

"I guess this means we can't just wait for them to leave," Katsu commented casually above the noise.

"I guess not. What do you guys wanna do?" Emi asked, glancing at her lanky crewmates.

The two boys grinned mischievously at each other before turning to Emi, who quickly caught on and returned the expression. The three waited for a lull in the bullet fire before nodding to each other. Emi counted down from three with her fingers.

_Three_

_Two_

_One_

The trio launched themselves over the ledge, descending upon the unsuspecting marines.

Within seconds, the three pirates were surrounded by blue and white clad men. Hota pulled out his jutte and created two clones of himself, the three of them attacking simultaneously. As he continued to strike down marines, he noticed that they weren't firing their guns. Following a quick glance around him, he realized (much to his pleasure) that the alley was too narrow for them to shoot their large guns without running the risk of hitting their fellow men. However, Hota knew that his was a disadvantage as well. Looking over the heads of the men around him, he found that he was right. His brother was using his throwing knives as daggers, as the men were too close for him to fully throw them. Emi was caught in a similar dilemma; without enough room to fully swing her scythe, she had retracted it and resorted to fighting with her hands instead. Despite this, Hota wasn't too worried. As long as they could keep the fight short, they would be just fine.

Unfortunately, the elder twin's hopes were dashed as the fight began to drag on. The twins found themselves fighting with their backs against the rough brick of the alley. Emi, stuck somewhere in the middle of the throng, bent backwards to avoid a sword. Just after the blade sliced through the air above her nose, the butt of a gun slammed into her stomach, knocking the air out of the girl and causing her to fall on her back.

From her spot on the ground, Emi kicked the gun out of the man's hands before he could shoot down at her. Before she could push herself back to her feet, a loud shout of "GET DOWN!" rang out through the alley. Emi didn't stop to question who said it and pressed herself into the ground as much as she could.

Emi was very glad she did so, for, a second later, the marines above her were caught in a large blast of flames. Agonized cries rang out and echoed in the enclosed area. Emi turned her head away from the bright light the flames produced. The heat radiating off of them hit her skin in searing waves.

Just as soon as the flames came, they were gone.

Above her, a heavily burned marine swayed stiffly before falling to the ground. Emi rolled out of the way swiftly as the man in the formerly white and blue uniform landed in her previous spot. Sitting up, she quickly surveyed the scene. Marines were strewn about the ground, burnt to a crisp. Some of them were moaning in pain. She was relieved to see Hota and Katsu standing up and brushing dirt off their clothes. But upon seeing them talking to two strangers, the relief was quickly replaced by confusion.

The two men were clearly fully grown with more than decent muscle mass. They stood at least a head above her lanky, wiry muscled nakama. The taller of the two was dressed in light blue and his hair was up in a peculiar pompadour hairstyle that Emi was certain couldn't happen naturally. The other man was tan skinned, with a mop of sandy hair on top of his head. His eyes had a lazy droop to them and, like the other man, had a friendly smile on his face. Judging by the way the four interacted; the two strange men were friends of Hota and Katsu's.

And although she was certain that she hadn't met these men before, Emi couldn't shake the feeling that she knew them from somewhere.

Emi was so engrossed in analyzing the two men that she didn't notice a third person walking towards her until he was towering above her.

"Need a hand? You didn't get burned at all, did you?"

Startled, Emi jumped slightly and turned to see who had approached her.

This man was much younger than the other two, almost too young to even deserve the name. He couldn't have been more than a few years older than Emi herself, and she was only fifteen. Despite this, she couldn't deny that he was muscular. Hell, she was pretty sure that he didn't wear a shirt just to show off that fact. Although that seemed to be the only piece of clothing he was missing, as he wore a dark pair of shorts and clunky black boots. There was a smattering of freckles on his grinning face and a flashy orange cowboy hat on top of his unruly mass of black hair.

Upon hearing a soft chuckle, Emi quickly came to the realization that she was staring. Blinking a few times to readjust her eyes, she took the boy's outstretched hand and allowed him to hoist her to her feet. The sudden movement made her aware of a sharp pain in her stomach. Lifting up the hem of the loose t-shirt that hung over her shoulder, she saw a deep purple bruise was flourishing in the center of her stomach.

"You okay?" The boy asked her, looking from the bruise to her face in search of an answer.

"I'm fine, thanks. One of these guys nailed me in the stomach before he got fried. Thanks for that by the away. I'm assuming that fire was one of you?" Emi replied, shoving her hands in her pockets and giving the boy in front of her a laid back smile.

Said boy grinned and scratched the back of his head, "That was me. I'm Portgas D. Ace by the way."

An image of a wanted poster she had seen recently popped into her head. This was Fire Fist Ace, an up and coming rookie that had recently joined the Whitebeard Pirates. Emi couldn't help but wonder why he had shown up out of the blue to help her and her crewmates, but she shrugged it off, deciding to ask questions later.

"I'm Hanatomi Emi," She replied, getting a nod in response.

"Oi, Emi!" Katsu called as he walked towards her, Hota and the two other men trailing behind him. "There's someone we want'cha to meet."

When they reached Emi and Ace, Hota jerked a thumb towards the two men. "This is Marco and Thatch. Seems like you've already met Ace. The three of 'em are part of Captain's old crew. Well, Marco and Thatch are. Ace joined after Jiro left."

Emi smiled and greeted them before it finally hit her. Marco and Thatch! They were division commanders on Whitebeard's crew! But wait a second…

"Wait… Captain was part of their crew? _Our_ captain was a freaking Whitebeard Pirate?"

The twins grinned at her obliviously and replied, "Yeah, he was the second division commander."

Well that was unexpected.

"What? Why didn't you tell me?"

The twins looked at each other, shrugged, and turned back to Emi.

"You didn't ask."

"That's a horrible reason!" the black haired girl deadpanned, hitting both of them over the head.

"You used it last week," They retorted, nursing the growing bumps on their heads.

"…Shut up."

As Emi huffed and turned away from her nakama, Ace and Marco could only shrug at the trio's behavior. Thatch just laughed.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, I'd say that's a fair start. Please let me know what you think. I'd love to hear your opinions. If you read the old version, do you like this one better? I'm hoping to get another chapter up soon, but ya never really know. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me. You're awesome. And not in the silly, watered down normal context, I mean awe inspiring. <strong>

**Reviews, constructive criticism, opinions, and ideas are always welcome. Requests are always negotiable. =)**

**~Decadent Decay (formerly Seeking Fireflies, in case you were wondering)**


	3. Of Exhibitionists and Pipsqueaks

**Well, I don't** **have much to say here other than I'm sorry for the wait.**

**Disclaimer-**** I do not own One Piece. Simple as that. **

**Thanks to violentyetawesome, LuffyxRuby, HopelesslyHope, XxAyano-ChanxX, Loving-you-is-a-crime, and everyone else for your reviews. You have no idea how helpful they are.**

* * *

><p>"So how'd you know to come find us?" Hota inquired as they picked their way through the charred remains of marines.<p>

"Jiro said you guys were running late, so Pops told us to go look for you," Thatch answered, leading the way to the opening of the alley.

"Well, it's a good thing you did, thanks," Katsu said, the corners of his mouth tilting up in a smile.

"No problem, but we've gotta get back before they start to wonder what happened to all of us," Marco said nonchalantly as they approached the mouth of the alley.

After a quick glance to check for any remaining marines, Marco, Ace, Thatch, Emi, and the twins ambled casually into the street of the port town. In the front, Thatch, Marco, and the twins were exchanging stories and jokes while Ace and Emi milled behind, taking in the sights around them and pointing out anything that caught their eyes. Within minutes, the group had entered the merchants' district of the town. The sides of the street were lined with colorful, but weather-worn carts and stands holding everything from hand-woven baskets to bejeweled knives. Merchants called loudly to indifferent passersby while pickpockets wove through the crowd in search of their next victims.

Upon spotting a bald, portly man claiming to sell enchanted armor, Ace let loose a bemused laugh and turned to tell Emi. But instead of the rather short girl he had been expecting, Ace was met with empty space. He scanned the heads of the crowd around him but came up dry.

"Oi, where'd Emi get off to?" He questioned aloud.

Curious at his statement, the others looked around the same way Ace had. Marco's and Thatch's searches turned up nothing, causing them to turn to Ace and shrug in confusion. Katsu and Hota continued to look until their eyes landed on the same thing and they groaned in frustration.

"She's at it again," Katsu sighed, slumping over as if he were tired.

Baffled, the others followed the twins' line of vision. They caught sight of the young girl a short distance away, standing in front of a crooked wooden cart that was overflowing with flowers. They couldn't hear what she was saying, but they could see her talking to the vendor, a wrinkled, but kind looking old man, as she dropped a few coins into his hand in return for a handful of flowers.

"What? She's just buying some flowers," Thatch mused, watching Emi turn to walk back to them, smelling the flowers as she went.

"She does this every time she sees someone selling flowers. She'll buy four and then just throw 'em in the ocean," Hota explained, shoving his hands in his pockets. Chewing his lip thoughtfully, he added, "Always the same kind too, now that I think about it."

Before anyone could question him further, Emi appeared between Thatch and Ace.

"Are you ladies ready to keep going? Or would you prefer to gossip some more?" She asked with a taunting grin on her lips.

Following a mixture of protests and chuckles, the group was on their way to the docks again. The twins resumed their habitual banter, with Marco looking on amusedly. Thatch started up a casual conversation with Emi. Ace said nothing, but watched Emi with a combination of curiosity and frustration that came with not being able to put your finger on something. How did he know her? Those big violet eyes and loose black curls seemed too familiar to be just a coincidence. Ace looked at the flowers in her hand. White lilies. Another alarm went off in the back of his mind that he should recognize this girl. But from where?

"You know, you don't really seem like the girly type, Emi," Thatch commented innocently, noting her worn shorts and oversized striped shirt.

Emi blinked at him for a moment before realization struck. "These? I get them out of habit. I used to buy or pick them whenever I saw them as a kid. My friend called 'em friendship lilies, but I don't know what they're actually called."

Thatch nodded in understanding and was about to comment when he noticed Ace, rooted to his spot and looking as if a light bulb had just exploded inside his head.

"Oi, you alright there, kid?" He asked, drawing the attention of the others and causing them to stop once again.

Ace nodded distractedly before turning to Emi, who blinked at him owlishly.

"Emi, did you grow up in East Blue?"

"Yeah," She replied carelessly, blowing a bubble with her gum. She, along with the rest of the group, continued to eye their cowboy hat clad companion curiously. Where was he going with this?

"And did you travel to different islands with your grandparents a lot?" Ace asked, growing more animated with each passing moment.

Emi nodded this time, her curiosity growing quickly.

"Do you remember meeting three boys who lived with a group of mountain bandits?"

Marco, Thatch, and the twins looked at Emi expectantly to find her frozen out of sheer confusion.

"How did you—wait a second… Ace?"

Said pirate could only laugh and nod at his old friend's expression of shock and recognition. Mere seconds later, Emi had launched herself into him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a bear hug. Her feet barely touched the ground when she did so, but she didn't seem to care. Laughingly, he returned the hug, unfazed by the small girl's grip.

"Ace! I can't believe it's really you! I didn't recognize you without that sour look on your face… Or a shirt for that matter. Come to think of it, why aren't you wearing a shirt? Are you an exhibitionist or something?"

At this, Ace blinked at Emi in confusion while Hota and Katsu burst into unabashed laughter. Over Emi's shoulder, Ace could see Marco giving him a smug smile that clearly said he had some explaining to do and Thatch grinning and laughing slightly at the spectacle.

"So I take it you two know each other?" Thatch asked, crossing his arms over his chest, smile still clearly plastered on his face.

"Yep," Emi said cheerfully, hopping down and jerking a thumb at Ace, "He's much friendlier now though."

His nakama's laughter brought a slight frown to Ace's lips and a tinge of red to his face, prompting him to catch Emi in a playful headlock.

"At least I've grown some, shorty," He jibed, a teasing smirk on his face.

"I'm not short; you're just too tall!" Emi argued in response, clawing futilely at the arm around her neck.

Marco watched the two bicker like two childish siblings for a moment before cutting in.

"I hate to break up the reunion, but Pops is still waiting on us and at this rate, we won't get there until next week."

The pair blinked at Marco before agreeing. With that, the group started moving again, chatting idly. Ace and Emi lagged behind, babbling animatedly about how they came to be where they were. Ace told Emi about his time as a captain of his own crew and the early days of his time with Whitebeard. In return, Emi recounted how her captain had found her in her hometown and convinced her to join the Yang Pirates.

They continued down the main avenue of the merchants' district until they hit a well beaten dirt road that lead from the outskirts of town down to the docks. By the time they passed the Yang Pirates' ship, the sun was beginning to set and a vague, dusty outline of the moon had appeared on the opposite horizon.

As they reached the gangplank of the Moby Dick, Emi paused to examine the legendary ship. To say it was massive would be an idiotic understatement, she decided. Emi was fully aware that she wasn't the largest of people, but she couldn't help but feel like an ant in comparison to the structure before her. Even the figurehead was enormous. The whale took up nearly half of the front of the ship with its large, aquatic grin. Emi vaguely wondered if there was some sort of tail on the other end.

"Oi, Emi! Are you comin'?" Hota and Katsu shouted down from the top of the gangplank, breaking their younger crewmate from her reverie.

With a quick shout in the affirmative, Emi flitted up the wooden ramp. By the time she reached the top, the twins had already disappeared into the large group of pirates in front of her. Skimming the faces around her, she couldn't find any sign of her crewmates. Unsure of what to do, but unwilling to stay put, she ventured into the crowd in search of them. As she weaved through the clumps of loud, intoxicated pirates, Emi couldn't help but recognize some of the notorious pirates she had seen pictures of countless times before. It was almost unreal; as if the wanted posters she had grown up seeing had sprang to life.

It took a few minutes for Emi to finally push herself out of the tightly packed throng. When she did, the raven-haired girl found herself on the edge of a fairly sized clearing in the middle of the deck. On either side of her, even more pirates stood about, chatting animatedly. She noticed that this circle had a few more familiar faces, including Marco, Ace, Thatch, and Benjirou, her crew's first mate and doctor. At the head of the circle, Emi found her captain with a large smile on his face and a drink in his hand. However, it was the man Jiro was talking to that caught her full attention. The man towered over the party on the deck easily, and he was still sitting down. Though it was clear that he was older, it was obvious that he still packed a wallop. The trademark upturned, white beard removed any miniscule doubt Emi had; this was Whitebeard, rival to Gold Roger and the strongest man in the world. While the titles alone didn't intimidate her, Emi couldn't help feel a more than a little shaken as she continued to stare at him. Along with the sheer size of him, the authority and power he exuded even while at rest set Emi's teeth on edge. She suddenly felt much smaller than she knew she was.

While Emi was stuck in her train of thought, Jiro had noticed her standing across from him. Stifling a laugh at her star struck expression, he made his way over to her.

"There you are, Emi. I was wondering when you'd turn up. Come here, there's someone I want you to meet," He said, dropping a hand on Emi's shoulder, causing her to jump and look at him in surprise.

Before she could protest, Jiro steered Emi forward, stopping in front of Whitebeard.

"Hey Pops, this is Hanatomi Emi, the new crewmate I told you about." The red-haired man said, grinning up at his former captain.

Whitebeard leaned forward slowly, resting an elbow on his knee as he scrutinized the short girl. She was obviously tense, but eyed him steadily. In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but be reminded of an old pair of pirates. A small grin appeared underneath his moustache.

"So Jiro went all the way out to East blue to find you, eh? You're quite the pipsqueak."

Emi couldn't help but frown slightly at his observation. Was that really the most notable thing about her? She wasn't _that_ short.

It took Emi a moment to force any words out of her mouth, as her nerves had made her throat go dry.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Newgate," She replied hesitantly, unsure of how to respond to the man in front of her.

As Whitebeard's grin grew at the comment, Emi heard an exasperated sigh before the hand that had been on her shoulder moved to the back of her neck, pushing her forward into a bow and making her yelp in surprise.

"How many times do I have to tell you to at least _try_ and show some respect?" Jiro asked irritably.

"Apparently a few more; you know I'm not good at following rules, Captain," Emi replied, a large grin splitting her lips as some of her nervousness slipped away at the familiar chiding. "Besides, bowing to men is a sign of subjugation and is demeaning to women."

Jiro resisted the urge to facepalm. "You've been talking to Yoko again, haven't you?" He asked, letting Emi up and resting his hands on his hips.

While Yoko was a loyal member of the Yang Pirates and a great cook, she was an incurable feminist and never failed to show it. Nor did she hesitate to pass it on to her fellow female crewmate.

"Maybe," Emi replied, the grin on her face growing substantially, causing Jiro to shake his head.

Whitebeard guffawed loudly at the pair before him. Taking a large swig of the drink in his hand, he said, "You were right, Jiro, she is a smartass. So, Pipsqueak, how are Haru and Ruka?"

"Um… They're dead," Emi stated bluntly, unsure of how else she could put it. Her eyebrows scrunching together, she asked, "You knew my grandparents?"

"Of course I knew them. They were some of Roger's first crewmates, them and that cranky friend of theirs. What was his name? Jack, wasn't it?" Whitebeard waited for Emi to nod before he continued with a frown on his lips, "How'd they die?"

Emi pursed her lips and shrugged, "I don't really know," she said. "They went on a trip alone one day and never came back. Jack told me to assume that they died in a storm."

Whitebeard downed his drink as he mulled Emi's story over. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something didn't seem to click. That wasn't how he thought Haru and Ruka would go. But then again, people were lost at sea everyday…

Not wanting to let the young girl before him catch on to his doubts, Whitebeard wiped the frown off his face and changed the subject. "You're awfully young to be a pirate on the Grand Line. What are you doing out here?"

Emi blinked owlishly up at him for a moment before an enthusiastic grin spread across her face. "I want to be free and go on wild adventures. One day I met Jiro and he offered to bring me with him. Why would I pass up the opportunity?"

Whitebeard found her grin to be contagious. He recognized the determined glint in her eyes: it was the same that her grandparents used to get when they thought an adventure was coming. His grin stretched a little more as the memories came back to him. Rivals or not, those two had been damn good pirates. One look at Emi and he couldn't help but think she would be just as monstrous. At the very least, he took some comfort in the thought that not every young pirate bought into that New Age of Piracy nonsense he kept hearing about.

The two talked for a little while longer after that. He asked her why she called him by his name and she replied that her grandparents had called him that when they told her stories. That and she figured if he could call her pipsqueak, she should be able to call him by his name. As Whitebeard laughed heartily at her audacity, Jiro interjected, restarting his previous conversation with Whitebeard. Emi drifted away shortly after, wandering through the still-raucous crowd until she reached the side of the ship. By then, the sun had disappeared and the sky was covered in the thick blanket of night. Emi sat on the railing of the ship, her legs dangling over the edge as she watched the stars.

"Sorry 'bout your grandparents, Emi," The sudden voice made Emi jump until she saw Ace come up and lean against the railing next to her. "When'd they die?"

"'Bout a year after I met you guys," Emi answered quietly after she had gotten over her surprise.

Ace nodded solemnly, letting the silence hang in the air. He had only met her grandparents briefly, and when he did, he hated them for their connection to Roger. But in retrospect, they had been pretty good to him. And he knew how fond of them Emi was.

"So how are Sabo and Luffy? I haven't heard from you guys since I went back home," Emi asked eagerly, turning to face her old friend.

"Luffy's great!" Ace started with a grin, but his face fell quickly. "Sabo on the other hand… He was killed by a Tenryubito about a year after you left…"

Emi was horrified as she listened to Ace's account of Sabo's fate. He told her everything from how Sabo was actually a nobleman's son to the fire in Grey Terminal and Sabo's unexpected, but failed, departure. By the time Ace finished, Emi was glaring at the blackened water below them, her fingers clenched around the stems of the unlucky lilies she had been holding since she bought them.

"Those rotten bastards! And they say that people like you and me are the monsters," She muttered harshly, hot tears stinging at her eyes. She wiped them away roughly, doing her best to keep them at bay.

Ace could only nod in frustrated agreement. He felt the pain prickling in his chest again, prompting him to grip the railing tightly to counter it. After a few moments in silence, he sought a change in topic.

"So what do you keep doing with those flowers?" He asked, nodding towards the delicate lilies in Emi's clenched hands.

Upon registering what Ace was saying, Emi loosened her grip on the flowers to avoid crushing them completely.

"I've been getting them since I met you guys," She answered, twirling a stem between her fingers. "I keep one for myself and then throw the rest in the water. It's stupid, but I like to think that they reach you guys."

"That is a little stupid, I will admit," Ace said, shooting her a joking grin. Emi frowned and punched him half-heartedly in the arm, and soon they were both laughing.

A comfortable silence fell over the pair. Quickly getting antsy, Emi took one flower and tucked it behind her ear. She looked at the remaining flowers in her hand before handing one to Ace.

"You can do what you want with it," She explained, shrugging, "If you put it in a pot of dirt, it'll probably take root and grow. I just figured I might as well give you yours."

Ace took the lily and thanked her, smiling as he played with it idly. "What're you gonna do with the other ones?" He asked, looking at her through the corner of his eye.

Emi flashed him a smile before extending her arm and dropping the two remaining lilies. They wafted down slowly, hitting the water without as much as a splash. Ace and Emi watched the two flowers float away on the black surface of the water.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, there you have it! Feel free to let me know what you thought. Also, there's a poll on my profile that you might want to check out. I don't know ifhow/when exactly it'll come into play, but I'm curious nonetheless.**

**Until next time,  
>~Decadent Decay<strong>


	4. Of Sea Kings and Polar Bears

**Um... yeah...**

**Disclaimer****: I still do not own One Piece. It's highly unlikely that I ever will.**

* * *

><p>Two Years Later:<p>

Jiro rubbed his tired eyes for the fifth time in the last hour. He had spent the morning in his quarters with his solemn first mate, Benjirou, pouring over a series of maps that were scattered across his desk. They had been floating through a windless patch of sea for two days now, and the pair was using the time to figure out where they were headed. But that was easier said than done in the New World, no matter how long you had spent on those waters. The fact that one complete map of the Grand Line didn't exist didn't help either. In an attempt to compensate for this, Benjirou and Jiro were trying to piece together individual maps of assorted islands and estimate the relative distances between them.

Even though the door to the captain's quarters was closed, the pair could hear outside fairly well. Aside from the seagulls passing overhead, they could hear the loud, animated shouts of Hota, Katsu, and Emi, who were playing a game of soccer on the deck. Suddenly, there was a loud _thunk_,and then their volume rose until their argument was nearly distinguishable through the wooden door. Benjirou and Jiro shared faint, knowing smiles at the commotion. When the crew's youngest members got rowdy like this, it was only a matter of time before…

A new voice abruptly joined the fray outside and the original three quickly grew quiet. The smile on Benjirou's face grew and Jiro chuckled, shaking his head. Yoko had no patience for the young trio when they got carried away. And when she lost her patience, scary things happened.

The sound of the Den Den Mushi on the corner of the desk ringing broke the captain from his reverie. He blinked at Benjirou, who shrugged in confusion, before picking up the receiver.

"Jiro? It's Marco. I have some bad news…"

The red haired captain nearly dropped the receiver in his hand as he and his first mate listened to their former comrade's ghastly tale. When he finished, the pair could do nothing but sit in stunned silence. As the initial shock began to subside, a swarm of questions was left in its wake. But before Jiro or Benjirou could voice any of them, Marco continued, this time asking for a favor. Jiro agreed quickly, but warned Marco that it may not have much of an effect, let alone achieve the intended result. After Marco assured him that he was well aware of the fact, they talked for a few minutes more before hanging up.

With a new wave of weariness washing over him, Jiro sank into his plush leather chair and dropped his head into one of his hands. How had he not seen this coming? Wasn't his Devil Fruit supposed to give him premonitions of the future? This was a pretty big issue to miss. And he had a dreadful feeling that things would only get worse.

"Jiro, are you really going to go through with this?" Benjirou asked, easily reading the distress on his old friend's face.

Jiro looked up at his tall, sturdily built first mate.

"I made a promise, Benji," he said tiredly, using the man's nickname, "And I'm not breaking it. Besides, what other option is there?"

"She's awfully young to send off alone. Especially here," Benjirou reasoned calmly.

The red-haired captain shook his head, fighting back a small smile. Benjirou may have a cold exterior, but there was no limit to how much he cared for his nakama.

"You know as well as I do what she's capable of. She'll be fine. Besides, Ace would never let anything happen to her. Now call in the others. We might as well tell them all at once."

Benjirou continued to gaze at his captain for a moment before doing as he was told. Within a matter of minutes, everyone was packed into the captain's quarters. The twins and Emi were still bickering quietly over a particular goal in their game while Yoko was trying her best not to go off on them again.

Jiro cleared his throat to gain their attention and the group fell quiet.

"Everyone, I wish I didn't have to tell you this, but… Thatch is dead."

There was a brief, pregnant pause before questions came pouring out of the group's mouths.

"What?!"

"How did he die?"

"When did this happen?"

Jiro raised a hand and the questions petered off. He stared at his distraught crew morosely before he addressed their questions.

"Marshall D. Teach committed the ultimate crime," he started gravely, "Thatch found a Devil Fruit that Teach wanted. And he got it. He killed Thatch and fled with the fruit in the middle of the night."

As Jiro allowed his story to sink in, he examined his crew. The twins had grown eerily quiet and Emi was, for once, completely still. Benjirou was leaning stoically against the side of Jiro's desk, paying special attention to Yoko, who stood stiffly, her hands clenched into fists and her eyes fixed on the ground.

"_He _killed Thatch? Isn't anyone doing something about this?" The blue-haired cook spat through gritted teeth.

Jiro sighed, pushing back from his desk and rising to his feet. Yoko, like Benjirou and himself, had once served on Whitebeard's crew beside Thatch. He was expecting this sort of reaction from her.

"Pops decided to let this one go," He murmured, looking down at the maps before him.

"_What?!_" Yoko snapped, sheer disbelief plastered on her face as she gaped at her captain.

"Marco told me that Pops had a bad feeling about Teach and said to let him go. Everyone complied with the order except for one. Ace went ballistic and took off to go after Teach against orders, which leads me to my next point. Pops is concerned and Marco asked me to send Emi to try and convince him to come back."

"Eh? Why me?" Emi inquired, suddenly startled from her stunned state as she felt all eyes turn to her.

"You've known Ace since he was a kid. They're hoping that you'll have more luck than they did. Besides, if you're riding Ryuk, you're the most mobile out of all of us. If there aren't any more questions, you're all dismissed," Jiro responded, sitting back down in his chair tiredly.

As the rest of the crew trudged out of the room morosely, Emi approached Jiro's desk.

"Captain," she started after the door clicked shut, a frown pulling at the corners of her mouth, "Ryuk may let me ride him around for short distances, but I don't know if he'll listen to me long enough to get to Ace."

Ryuk was a young Sea King that Emi and her grandparents helped when it was a baby. As a result, it took to following Emi around from island to island. Despite this, Ryuk was far from the loyal pet that Jiro seemed to think he was.

Jiro was undeterred by his youngest crewmate's arguments. Rummaging through one of his desk drawers, he replied, "I'm sure you can find a way to compromise with him. Now, do you still have that Vivre Card that Ace gave you?" he waited for her quick nod before continuing, "Good. Use that to find him and keep this on you at all times."

As he finished, Jiro straightened up in his seat and tossed a small item to the violet-eyed girl in front of him. She caught it deftly and looked at it curiously. It was a baby Den Den Mushi that had a black leather strap attached so that it could be worn like a wristwatch.

"You already know the number for the one we keep on the ship. I want you to check in and keep us posted if anything changes," Jiro ordered, sounding a lot like an overbearing father in Emi's mind.

Emi nodded absentmindedly as she worked to fasten the lime green transponder snail to her thin wrist. When she finished, she stood quietly for a moment before looking up at her captain earnestly.

"You know, he probably won't listen to me. I call him Hothead for a reason," She told him, playing with the snail on her wrist distractedly.

Jiro nodded slightly in agreement, but persisted. "Just try. That's all we're asking you to do. Now go pack. I want you on the go in an hour."

Emi nodded, turning on her heel and making her way to the door. Just as her hand came to rest on the smooth metal doorknob, she was stopped by her captain's voice.

"Emi, one more thing."

She turned halfway to gaze at her captain curiously.

"Be careful. I'd rather get you back in one piece."

For the first time since hearing about Thatch's death, a bright grin appeared on Emi's face.

"Aye aye, Captain," she said with a mock salute before disappearing through the door.

As she went, Jiro couldn't help but smile a little. Nothing could dampen her spirits for very long.

* * *

><p>Ryuk's serpentine body slithered through the ocean, his legs propelling him forward with ease. Emi sat on his head, leaning against one of his curved, yellow horns. The ocean spray caused by the dragon-like Sea King's speed created a fine mist in the air, which slowly dampened Emi's skin and hair. On their right, the fiery sun was sinking into the briny deep. However, a few stubborn rays of light reflected off of Ryuk's wet, scarlet scales, giving them a slightly golden sheen.<p>

Emi pulled out the scrap of Vivre Card that was serving as her guide on this little voyage. It sat in the palm of her hand, pointing steadfastly in the direction they were heading. A small sigh of discontent left Emi's lips. They were heading in the right direction, sure, but were they actually getting any closer? They had crossed the Red Line what seemed like ages ago and so far there had been no sign of Ace.

Closer examination of the Vivre Card revealed it to be in pristine condition. The young girl felt a slight comfort at this. At least he was okay. A small voice in the back of her mind reminded Emi that that could very well be nothing but a temporary state. Ace was impulsive and reckless even at the best of times. But someone had killed his precious comrade and Emi knew very well that the hothead would be damned before he let it go unpunished, regardless of what Newgate said.

But wasn't that why she was here? Ace wasn't listening to Newgate and was bound to do something dangerous. She had to bring him back home before he got hurt. Or worse…

Emi shook her head firmly before her thoughts could go any further. It was those kinds of thoughts that would turn her into a nervous wreck before she could even find Ace. She _would_ find Ace; there was no question about it. And when she did she would do everything she could to convince him to come home where he belonged. At the very least she would stay with him and try to help him on his mad venture.

The last colorful remnants of the sunset had given way to a deep blue which was quickly overtaken by a blizzard of glimmering stars. Emi lay down on Ryuk's head, using her bag as a pillow and gazing up at the stars above her. Her newfound determination temporarily subduing her apprehension, she closed her eyes in the hope of getting some shut eye.

An image of Thatch's smiling face appeared in her mind.

Emi's heart clenched uncomfortably at the thought of her dead friend. Thatch had always been so kind to her, no matter what the situation was. He was the first to crack a joke and was always willing to help her with a prank, especially if it was on Marco. Just the thought of not getting to see that smile or beehive hair of his made her heart ache.

A groan of frustration left Emi's lips. If she kept thinking about this stuff, she would never get any sleep, and Roger knew that was hard enough as it was for her. Emi rolled onto her side and curled into a ball. A cold feeling of loneliness had seeped into her bones, chilling her to the core. Try as she might, she couldn't get the feeling to go away, and she eventually resigned herself to another sleepless night.

Late the next morning, Emi found herself walking up the docks of an island. Ryuk had disappeared under the ocean's surface, probably in search of his next meal. Emi's stomach growled at the thought of food and she quickly resolved to appease it. She picked up her pace until she had entered the main square of the town. It was by no means the bustling hub of a metropolis. The doors of most of the stores were open, but the number of people milling through them was scarce. The citizens that were there ambled around at a leisurely pace, most looking languid and perfectly at ease while a few were still yawning.

The area was fairly quiet and Emi assumed that most of the townspeople were still sleeping. These people were awfully late risers, she decided. At the same time, she hoped that the drowsy atmosphere would make it easier to pull an eat-and-run, as she was currently rather low on cash. Usually she would sneak aboard ships at night and loot them for money and supplies, but she hadn't passed a ship since she left the last island she had landed on, where she had used the last of her funds.

Entering the first restaurant she saw, Emi was unsurprised to find it just as leisurely as the town it resided in. Sitting down, she ordered and hummed to herself contently while she waited. When her food arrived, she unfolded a worn copy of Ace's wanted poster, asking the waitress if she'd seen him around. She scrutinized the poster with drowsy eyes before shaking her head and walking away. Emi frowned a little at this, but was quickly distracted by her growling stomach, prompting her to scarf her food down as if it would disappear. The restaurant staff paid her little mind, opting instead to lounge in a booth in the opposite corner of the room. As Emi expected, a dine-and-dash was as simple as walking out the door.

Newly fed and much more satisfied, Emi popped into a few more stores, flashing Ace's poster around and receiving unanimously negative results. Concluding that Ace wasn't in this village, Emi decided to return to the docks. On her way, she passed a group of men that were clearly not from the sleepy town she had just left. The tall, lean man in front donned a bright yellow sweatshirt with a smiley face and a spotted fur hat. He carried a long sword over his shoulder and walked with all the lazy grace of a panther slinking through the jungle. The rest of the men, clad in matching white boiler suits bearing the same smiley face—which, Emi realized, was a Jolly Roger—followed behind the man dutifully. Emi eyed them as she passed, continuing on her way without a second thought after deciding that she didn't recognize whatever crew they belonged to.

Not long after, Ehe returned to the shore. She strode to the end of a particularly long dock, placed two fingers in her mouth, and gave a sharp whistle. After a few minutes went by without a response, she tried again. Again, nothing. The raven-haired girl kept her eyes peeled for a familiar figure weaving through the waves or a winding shadow in the water beneath her, but she came up with little. Unconcerned, Emi concluded that Ryuk was still hunting and didn't want to leave just yet.

Turning away from the peaceful stretch of sea and sky in front of her, Emi placed her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. She had some time to kill, but the question of how to do so still remained. Ace wasn't on this island and, as far as she could tell, there wasn't all that much to do. Scanning the pier, she found nothing but merchant ships until her eye was caught by a hulking yellow object at the very end of the row. The ostentatious color and peculiar shape piqued Emi's interest, which led her to make a beeline for the vessel. When she got close enough, she realized it was a submarine complete with two masts and several gilded lanterns affixed to the metal surface. A giant, grinning Jolly Roger was painted on the side. Emi instantly recognized it as the one worn by the men she had seen earlier.

Emi's eyes were alight with amazement and inquisitiveness. She'd seen a lot of strange things on the Grand Line, particularly in the New World, but this was quite new to her. She wondered what it was like to set sail _beneath_ the waters she had come so accustomed to. Come to think about it, how did a submarine even look on the inside? The more she thought about it, the more Emi's curiosity grew.

It didn't take long for that curiosity to get the best of her. Following a quick glance at the sparsely inhabited docks around her, Emi decided that a quick look around wouldn't hurt anyone, especially since the ship's owners had just gone into town. After deeming the gangplank too easy of a route, she adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and jumped up into the air. Grabbing hold of the handrail, she easily flipped herself over it, landing lightly on the deck of the submarine.

Once she judged the deck to be safely empty, Emi took a moment to take in her surroundings from her new, higher vantage point. To her left, a sunny sky glimmered against the deep blue of the ocean. In the distance, Ryuk arched out of the water and sank back under smoothly. Back on land, everything appeared calm and still. She could find no sign of the submarine's crew.

After listening carefully for movement on the vessel and hearing nothing, Emi bolted to the door. She wasn't about to waste the opportunity the see the inside of a submarine. When, or even if, she would get this chance again was anyone's guess. Emi had to throw all of her weight against the door to get it open, but she was just thankful it hadn't been bolted shut.

Upon slipping inside, Emi was greeted by a platform and a small set of steps that descended a few feet to a long hallway lit by systematically placed lights on the walls and ceiling. Everything in sight appeared to be made of metal, which had a cold, impersonal gleam from the pale lights.

Not satisfied with simply peeking inside, Emi flitted down the steps and slowly made her way down the corridor. Inspecting each door as she passed, Emi found they were all similar; they gave no hint as to what dwelled inside. She did her best to keep her already light footsteps quiet on the metal floor below her feet, lest any crew member that might have stayed behind hear her and decide to come looking.

A narrow, winding staircase resided at the end of the corridor. Emi peered over the railing in an attempt to see what was below before shrugging, sitting on the railing, and sliding down. To her slight dismay, a similar hall resided at the bottom, with the doors more widely spaced than the ones on the previous floor. Emi wandered down the corridor before arbitrarily picking a door to open. Just as her hand came to rest on the doorknob, slow, heavy footsteps came from the stairs. Emi wrenched the handle down and tried to open the door, but found it was too heavy to do so quickly. Glancing at the stairs, she could see a shadow now. The footsteps were getting louder…

A tall, bulky man in an orange jumpsuit and a furry white hat lumbered down the hallway. Above him, Emi clung to the pipes mounted on the ceiling, taking slow, silent breaths and watching him intently. The man paused underneath her and Emi stiffened. Her heart began to pump faster and her breath caught in her throat as she waited for him to look up. Just as the suspense had Emi ready to burst, the man turned to the ajar door on his left and closed it completely, muttering something to himself about a careless penguin.

Emi exhaled an exaggerated sigh of relief as the man continued down the hallway. Slowly, she unlatched her feet from the pipe and hung briefly over the metal floor before dropping down into a crouch with little more than a soft metallic _thump_.

Suddenly, the man stopped short. The ear on the man's furry white hat twitched and he whirled around.

Emi felt her stomach plummet as his gaze fell directly on her. All panicked thoughts of being caught dropped out of Emi's mind as she blinked at the man in front of her. Except… it wasn't a _man_, but a _bear._ A white, fluffy, orange jumpsuit wearing, bipedal polar bear to be exact.

There was a tense moment of silence while Emi and the bear gawked at each other with equal and utter befuddlement. Finally, Emi, unable to articulate a more complex thought, blurted, "You're a _bear_."

To Emi's amazement, the bear visibly sagged at her remark. His ears and shoulder drooped and his gaze dropped to the scratched and scuffed metal floor. "I'm sorry," he mumbled dejectedly.

Emi could only blink absently at the animal before her eyes lit up. "You're a bear that can _talk_?!"

The bear slouched even further, and as he apologized again, Emi could practically see the despondent aura looming around him. In an effort to cheer him up, Emi strode towards the bear until she stood directly in front of him with her hands on her hips. The bear blinked at her and she beamed back.

"You're weird," she deadpanned, "But I like you. What's your name?"

Slowly, almost hesitantly, the bear perked up. "Bepo," he replied.

Emi took one of her bear's paws in both of her hands and shook it vigorously. The motion barely moved his entire arm.

"Lovely to meet ya, Bepo. My name's Emi."

* * *

><p>Within an hour of meeting Bepo, Emi had managed to learn quite a bit about him. He was first mate of the Heart Pirates, under "Surgeon of Death" Trafalgar Law. They had recently arrived in the Grand Line and his beloved captain had already begun making a name for himself. So far, Bepo missed North Blue because it was cooler and it had more female bears. Emi tried to convince him to give her a tour of the submarine, but Bepo persisted that his captain wouldn't like it and insisted that they remain on the deck outside. After Bepo bribed her with an apple and stories of Spot, his pet fish, she consented.<p>

The pair was still conversing— Bepo standing in the sea breeze, Emi perched on the railing with her feet dangling freely— when they heard footsteps on the gangplank. Emi peered around Bepo in time to see the man in the yellow sweatshirt from before boarding the submarine. His sword was still resting casually on his shoulder. This time, the men following him lugged heavy looking burlap sacks and wooden crates onto the deck.

The man's eyes immediately landed on Bepo and Emi. "What do we have here?" he asked, a sly smile on his lips.

Emi bounced off of the railing and flitted up to the man, carelessly invading his personal space without a moment's hesitation. She smiled at him airly and answered, "I'm Emi, Hanatomi Emi. You must be Trafalgar Law. I like your ship. And your bear."

If he was annoyed, Law did a remarkable job of hiding it, Emi noted, mildly disappointed by the fact. The only thing she could find in the curve of his smile and the quirk of one of his eyebrows was amusement.

"So you're the granddaughter of the infamous couple from Roger's crew," Law mused, "I always thought you'd look more menacing. Are you here to join my crew?"

Emi tried not to wince at Law's comment. Sometimes she wished her ancestry wasn't such public knowledge. She loved her grandparents dearly, but they sure knew how to leave a large shadow for her to live in. She often wondered how much of her current bounty was from her own actions and how much of the Marines had assigned to her due to her bloodline.

Pushing thoughts of her grandparents' legacy away, Emi turned her attention back to the pirate captain in front of her. "No," she deadpanned, "I was just bored and wanted to explore your ship. Bepo wouldn't really let me, though."

"I see," Law responded lightly, though his grip on his sword shifted in a clear threat, "In that case, get off of my ship."

A mischievous grin broke out on Emi's face at his reaction. The warning was not lost on her, but she found the risk more exciting than frightening. "Aw, but we were just getting to know each other," she mock whined.

Law's smile took on a sinister quality, giving Emi the slightest hint of why he was known as the "Surgeon of Death." He flicked his thumb at the hilt of his sword, disconnecting it from its sheath. Emi was about to reach for her scythe, which was retracted and concealed on her person, when a familiar roar reached her ears, reminding her that she had important matters to attend to. In a flash, she had moved across the deck, balancing easily on the metal railing and grinning at the expressions of astonishment on the faces of Law's crew. She gave a sharp whistle before saying, "Sorry, we'll have to pick this up another time; my ride is here. See you later, _Mister _Law!"

Digging her hands into her pockets, Emi allowed herself to drop backwards off the yellow painted railing. Twisting during the brief fall, she landed feet-first on the familiar scaly head of Ryuk, who wasted no time in rocketing off towards the open sea. Emi spared a moment to wave at the bewildered pirates on the submarine, and then turned around, digging out Ace's Vivre Card to point the Sea King in the right direction. Time to get back on track, she decided. She needed to find Ace.


	5. Of Narcoleptics and Insomniacs

The rickety barstool creaked with even the slightest movement as Ace chewed his food slowly. He eyed the bartender intently as the floppy haired man—if he was even old enough to be called that—looked over the wanted posters in front of him. He made a few thoughtful noises and rubbed his scruffy chin before shaking his head.

"Sorry, shirtless dude, I haven't seen either of 'em," The bartender told him.

"Don't worry 'bout it," Ace muttered in reply, trying to remember his manners in the face of this new disappointment.

As the bartender walked away, Ace sighed and took a large gulp of his drink. The alcohol blazed its way down the fire user's throat, but soon only numbness was left in its wake.

Thatch was completely numb now, wasn't he?

The sudden thought didn't startle Ace in the slightest. He had been having them since he set out on this god-forsaken mission. But it was still true. Thatch was stone cold dead; literally stabbed in the back by his own nakama. Ace's stomach churned in a tumultuous blend of anguish and anger. Thatch had been one of his closest friends since he set foot on the Moby Dick. One of the most accepting men in the world and always ready for a laugh, especially if it was at Marco's expense, that was Thatch. The idea that someone would kill Thatch for something as petty as a Devil Fruit was infuriating at the least and maddening at the worst. The fact that it was a trusted comrade that did it made Ace seethe and his blood boil.

As Ace chewed on his food a little more vigorously, an image of Whitebeard crossed his mind. The corners of the fire user's mouth dropped slightly. He could still hear his father's voice in his head, telling him that this time was an exception: no one had to go after Teach. Ace knew very well that Whitebeard may have been right, but he didn't care. He hadn't been able to avenge Sabo's death all those years ago and he certainly wasn't about to let it happen again with Thatch, dangerous or not. How could Thatch ever rest peacefully otherwise?

Finishing off his rather unsatisfying meal, Ace waited until the bartender had disappeared into a backroom before slipping out the front door and trudging away. He doubted that he needed to run. It would probably take that bartender ten minutes to realize that he was even gone, let alone that he hadn't paid.

The cool air outside was a stark contrast to Ace's burning skin. Sucking in a deep breath, the brisk air filled his lungs, having roughly the same impact as a bucket of ice water to the face. He continued to breathe deeply and soon enough he felt his temper simmer down somewhat. With his newfound clarity, Ace decided he needed to get more information. All the burning desire for retribution in the world wouldn't help him if he couldn't _find_ that damned traitor.

But how would he do that? He had asked every bartender and regular on every island since he had left and found neither hide nor tail of Teach. It was like he had slipped into the shadows and ceased to exist.

"Fuffuffuffuffu."

The eerie laugh reached Ace's ears unexpectedly. Whirling around, Ace found that the street was quite empty, save for a figure that appeared to be perched precariously on top of a barrel sitting beside a tavern door. In the limited light of dusk, Ace could see that the man was wearing a garish pink-feathered coat and had a scruff of blond hair. A nearby streetlight flickered on, casting a lurid glare on the man's fiendish grin.

Don Quixote Doflamingo. Ace had never met the man, but he had heard plenty of stories. They weren't pleasant.

"What are you laughing at?" Ace asked gruffly, clenching his fists and squaring his shoulders.

Doflamingo's grin widened impossibly. "You," he replied, voice dripping with mirth.

Deep down, rage began to bubble up inside of Ace, eating at his newfound calm and clarity like a vile, vitriolic acid. Knocking a few of this guy's teeth out sounded like a great way to blow off some steam right about now.

Which is probably exactly what Doflamingo wanted him to try, he cautioned himself. Besides, he had something important to do and using one of the Seven Warlords as a punching bag wasn't it.

With a very conscious effort at maintaining his composure, Ace turned to walk away.

Doflamingo's lilting voice floated to his ears. "You're an awfully long way from home. Did you come all of this way to get revenge on Marshall D. Teach?"

Ace's foot froze midstride. As far as he knew, Thatch's death hadn't been made widely known yet. Only a few of their closest allies had been told.

"How did you know about that?" He probed, focusing a sharp glare on Doflamingo. He didn't bother denying the claim. Doflamingo had the air of a man who knew all too well that he was right. And knowing this man's reputation, Ace had a feeling that air wasn't just a front.

Wicked grin still prominent on his face, the Shichibukai leaned forward and said, "Pirates are the worst gossips. You never can trust some people. But you already knew that, didn't you? Fuffuffuffuffu "

Rage kicked in before logic did. Ace lunged for the infuriating flamingo, fully intent on incinerating him, beating him within an inch of his life, anything to inflict a fraction of his pain onto this man. Pain from losing Thatch. Fury that someone had betrayed his father from directly under his—

The belligerent youth froze mid-stroke before flames could even form on his hand. Ace's gaze whipped between his arms and legs, which seemed to hang immobile in the air.

"Ah, ah, ah," The blonde haired demon taunted, "Let's not be too hasty now, Firefist. If you try to kill me now, I won't be able to help you."

"I don't need anything from you," Ace asserted gravely, fighting with all of his will to regain control of his body, but to no avail.

"Are you sure? You seem to be painfully alone in this little stretch of the world. If Whitebeard really wanted Teach caught, would he have sent just you?" Doflamingo questioned, a mocking lilt in his voice.

Ace ground his teeth, absolutely seething as this damned government dog laughed in his face. He could feel white-hot rage burning away the last struggling remnants of his reason.

"I'm all that's necessary," Ace stated, a deadly calm to his voice.

"Or maybe," Doflamingo leaned back against the wall casually, as if he were discussing dinner plans with an old friend, "he's losing his touch. Someone commits the greatest possible sin right in front of his face and he only sends one man to exact his revenge? Pathetic, if not cowardly. If you ask me, Whitebeard's Age has ended! This is the start of a New Era and your precious, decrepit father has no place in it."

A shout of sheer rage exploded from Ace and flames erupted from his fist, aimed directly at Doflamingo's face. For a moment, his field of vision was filled with a fiery blaze. When the flames cleared, he found the barrel reduced to charred chunks and the wall behind it painted with a mural of scorch marks.

No sign of Doflamingo, though.

As this sunk in, Ace suddenly became aware of feeling very loose. Not expecting this new freedom of motion, he stumbled forwards.

An infuriating laugh—which was becoming all too familiar to Ace—resounded behind him and he whirled to meet it. His eyes landed on Doflamingo, who had found a new perch on the edge of the roof of the opposite building. Ace readied himself to attack again.

Once his laughter died down, Doflamingo's grin closed into an evil smirk. "My, you do have quite the temper, don't you? Since you've made tonight so much more entertaining, I'll tell you this: the turncoat you're so sensitive about goes by the name Blackbeard now. He's building a crew and making quite the splash while he's at it. Thanks for livening up my night, Firefist."

Night fell with an abrupt finality and the rest of the street lamps flickered on. When his eyes adjusted to the new light, Ace found the damn flamingo's perch occupied by nothing but air.

"Figures," The young commander muttered, digging his hands into his pockets and trudging away into the night.

_Fuffuffuffuffu_

That damned laugh still buzzed in Ace's ears like a bloodthirsty mosquito.

As he walked it occurred to Ace that Donquixote Doflamingo was not the type to go around giving out information for free.

* * *

><p>The night sky was clear of clouds and littered with stars. Beneath it, colorful banners and twinkling paper lanterns dangled above a raucous festival filling the streets. Brightly decorated stands boasted intricately painted skull masks and fragrant fried foods to passersby. Tables and chairs had been dragged into the areas in front of the restaurants, where citizens of all ages ate and drank together merrily around sugar skulls and candles. Groups of colorfully dressed people danced about in circles in the center of the avenue, switching partners gracefully as they went. A ragtag band of villagers had set up their instruments in front of a large fountain, fueling the scene with their music.<p>

Ace trudged through the crowd, shrugging off drunken partygoers as he went. The entire scene seemed to be thrumming with life. Ironic, he decided, since one of the locals had told him that the purpose of the festival was to celebrate and honor the dead. It was very easy to tell that the woman was right though, as he had passed a large memorial wall bursting with portraits and candles and countless skeleton related decorations.

Despite all of the liveliness and warmth around him, Ace couldn't help but feel bogged down by a sense of hollowness. Weeks had passed since his run in with Doflamingo and still he had found barely more than whispers about Teach and his whereabouts. His anger and thirst for revenge had not waned, but had worn him down enough for apprehension and doubt to sink their claws in. He couldn't save Thatch and, at this rate, he wouldn't be able to avenge him either.

Ace was broken from his dejected train of thought when he realized that he was no longer weaving through a crowd. Looking around, he found that he had wandered into one of the circles of dancers during a lull between songs. The villagers were joining hands in preparation for the next dance. The pink haired woman next to him held her hand out to him expectantly. After a moment's deliberation, Ace took it. It may help him loosen up a little, he decided. And he really did love a good party.

The dance started at a reasonably slow pace and was easy enough to pick up. He copied the other men around him until he had gotten the hang of spinning and then changing partners. When the tempo began gaining speed, he picked up the pace along with it. He couldn't help but crack and smile and laugh along with the cheerful dancers as he made his way around the circle. For a brief second, he thought he spotted a familiar face, but shrugged it off. The chances that someone he knew was here were impossibly slim.

Ace's gaze was pointed elsewhere when the next girl in the circle caught his hand. Somewhere in the back of his mind, it registered that the girl was a fair amount shorter than him. Following the usual pattern, he brought his hand up to rest on her back and was met by the feeling of a strange shape. It felt like there was some kind of rod strapped to the girl's back underneath her shirt.

Wait.

Ace's head snapped to the girl in front of him just as she looked up. Cheery violet eyes met his from under a mess of loose black curls.

"Emi?!"

The girl's eyes widened in surprise and a huge grin split her face. "Ace! Great party, huh? These guys know how to have a good time!"

Even if shock hadn't stolen Ace's voice, Emi had flounced away to the next man in the circle. Ace stumbled briefly before falling back into step with the group, keeping his eyes trained on Emi until the end of the song. When the music stopped, he marched straight to her through the applauding crowd.

Emi saw him coming over her shoulder and turned to beam at him. "Figures that I'd find you as soon as a took a break from looking. How's—whoa!"

Ace swept Emi up and flung her over his shoulder all to easily, causing her face to collide with his back from the excess momentum. She propped her head up on her elbows and chattered erratically as he carried her through the bustling crowd.

"You know, as much as I adore seeing this side of you—literally or metaphorically, take your pick—is this really necessary? Oh! I have to tell you about this bear I met! He—"

"Emi, what the _hell_ are you doing here?" Ace demanded, unceremoniously dropping Emi at the opening of a darkened alley next to a restaurant. She regained her footing without so much as a wobble.

"I was looking for you! Newgate wants you to come home," Emi deadpanned, a sudden, unsmiling contrast from her previous cheerful blabbering.

Ah, of course.

"Sorry, Emi, no can do. I have to go after Teach, even if Pops said not to. Marco knew that when he sent you."

Emi's serious expression broke into one of flustered confusion. "How did you—?"

Ace crossed his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow at her. "Seriously? Who else would ask Jiro to send you half way around the world after me?"

"Touché. And there's nothing I can do to change your mind?" She pried, rocking onto the balls of her feet. Ace could see the conniving wheels turning in her head, weighing different options on how to persuade him.

Ace allowed his expression to darken, mustering the sternest frown he could. It wasn't difficult; thoughts of Thatch and Teach still swirled turbulently in the back of his mind.

"Nope," he stated.

"Beg and grovel?" she suggested.

"No."

"Puppy dog eyes?"

"Pathetic."

"Threats?"

"Seriously?"

"Clinging to your leg and making you drag me around until you change your mind?"

"Don't even think about it."

Ace waited for her next attempt, staring down at her gravely. She looked back up at him pensively, narrowing her eyes into a piercing stare. He could have sworn he saw a devious glint in her eye before she shrugged and began walking away.

"Hmm.. Alright then," She said over her shoulder airily.

"Huh, that's it? You came all this way just to give up?"

If it weren't for that look in her eye—the one that he had learned to recognize as the precursor to some kind of chaos—a wave of relief would have washed over him. Instead, he followed her to a table outside the nearest restaurant and warily watched her flop down into a chair and prop her feet up.

"Give up? Hell no! I'm going with you," she replied, plucking two pints of ale from a passing tray and sliding one towards Ace.

With how carelessly she said it, she could have just reminded him that the ocean was wet. Ace couldn't keep his jaw from dropping.

"Going with?" he sputtered, still standing in front of the table, "No way! It's too dangerous."

Emi frowned at Ace over the top of her drink, unmoved by his protests.

"Don't square your shoulders and flex your muscles at me like that! My mind's made up. You're stuck with me. I can help you find Teach."

Ace's first reaction, though he wouldn't dare let Emi find out, was relief. He hadn't realized how painfully lonely he had been on this venture until Emi had appeared in front of him. Maybe letting her tag along wouldn't be such a bad thing. She could be helpful when she wasn't getting into trouble. And surely he could keep her away from anything too serious.

A sudden image of Sabo flashed through his mind, quickly followed by one of Thatch. Two loved ones he had failed to protect. He looked at Emi again and instead of the ridiculous, stubborn girl sitting in front of him, he saw her lying on the ground, frail and small and beaten. Her skin was devoid of any color where it wasn't splattered with blood and, perhaps most unnerving of all, her usually vibrant eyes gazed back at him, hazy and pained. She raised a weak, shaky hand out to him, face crumpled into an agonized, wordless plea for help.

No. _No. _He could not let that happen.

"Emi, no," Ace insisted, keeping his voice cold and firm to make it clear that he wouldn't budge on the matter. "Go back to your crew. You're sixteen. You'll only be a nuisance."

"Seventeen," she replied, meeting his gaze evenly.

Emi's face was unreadable. Ace hadn't quite wiped the image of her maimed form from his mind, which rendered him utterly baffled at her response.

"Huh?"

"I'm seventeen, not sixteen," she elaborated, expression unchanging.

Ace felt his stomach sink a little. Seventeen: the same age he was when he went out to sea. No age or experience related argument would get through to her now, especially not one coming from him.

His voice still held a tone of surprise. "When did you—?"

"A week after Thatch was killed."

Emi looked down, fixing her gaze on her drink.

"Oh..."

Guilt crashed into Ace with the force of a charging elephant and this time his stomach dropped all the way through the floor. Ace slumped into the chair opposite Emi. He remembered Thatch promising Emi that they would go to this famous zoo that occupied an entire island for her birthday. Ace had teased her for wanting to do something so childish for her first birthday as an adult, even if he thought it sounded like fun himself. Emi had protested loudly while Thatch just laughed fondly.

The two sat in silence. Ace took a long swig of his drink. Neither made eye contact.

"Ace?" Emi probed, her voice timid and very tiny compared to the party raging around them.

"Hm?"

"I miss him."

The simple, strained statement forced Ace's full attention up to Emi. She had removed her feet from the table and sat stiffly in her chair, drink clutched in her slim hand. Her lips pressed together in a tight-lipped frown. The circles under her eyes made him wonder how much sleep she had gotten lately. She looked exhausted and, if he wasn't imagining that slight tremble in her shoulders, close to tears. Her wide eyes bore into his, holding pain, loss, hopelessness, and some inexplicable sort of fear. For a moment, he couldn't tell if he was seeing her emotions or a reflection of the ones churning inside him. The thought made holding her gaze unbearable. His eyes dropped down to the table.

"Me too," he admitted, hoping to soothe her a little, "He didn't deserve this. That's why I have to avenge him."

Emi scrunched her eyebrows together and shook her head, more in disbelief than disagreement.

"But he was always so happy," she reasoned, "I can't imagine him wanting you to risk yourself chasing revenge of all things."

She had a good point. Thatch had never made much of a fuss about settling scores, even if he was the one getting the short end of the stick.

"I… I don't know." Ace sent her a desperate, frustrated look before slouching back into his chair, looking up at the sky past the glowing lanterns overhead. He wondered if Thatch was up there, looking down on them. "But if I don't go after him, no one else will. Its like saying Thatch meant nothing to us. I can't let his memory be disgraced like that."

Emi huffed and leaned back in her chair as well.

"There's no right answer, is there?" She mused.

Ace knew she was hoping for an answer that neither of them had. One that would bring this whole mess to an end. He wanted it too, but knew all too well that they wouldn't find it.

The two sat like that for a long time, both staring at the stars, undisturbed by the exuberant crowd around them. The isolated silence broke only when they ordered some food, though Ace couldn't remember a time when he had felt less hungry.

Halfway through eating, Emi spoke first.

"Everyone's worried sick about ya, y'know," she told him around a bite of mashed potatoes.

Endless shouts of 'worthless' and_ 'devil child' _echoed in his ears.

"They shouldn't be. I'm not worth it," Ace's reply was blunt, but he couldn't keep the bitter tinge out of his voice. Emi blinked at him, confused.

"Eh? That's a stupid thing to say," Emi's words were equally frank. Ace tried not to flinch. Of all the people who might understand his feelings, he thought Emi would—"Of course you're worth it. Being a scum pirate or the child of a demon has nothing to do with it. Your nakama, me, Luffy, we care. We're your family, and that's all there is to it."

Emi nodded to herself curtly as she finished speaking, punctuating her words with a huge bite of a roll. Ace couldn't help but stare at her, dumbfounded. Years of doubts and questions about his existence, and she had explained them away as nonchalantly and effortlessly as she could give a rundown of how to unfurl a ship's main sail.

Ace thought back to when they were kids causing trouble back in East Blue. She had made casually grand declarations back then too, though he had often written them off as the words of a reckless runt who didn't understand how the world worked. Now, he could barely fight the smile pulling at the corners of his mouth, heart warmed at her words.

That was the last thing Ace remembered before Emi woke him up some time later, snickering at him for falling asleep with his face in his food.


End file.
